RAF Press Release - Last Wessex in Squadron service retires
Nearly 40 years after entering RAF service the last of the Westland Wessex, the longest serving rotary winged aircraft in RAF history, have been retired from 84 Squadron. One of the airframes retiring was XR588, one of the prototypes of the Wessex HC Mk2, a testament to the types durability and ruggedness.
A total of 60 Wessex helicopters in several versions were ordered by the RAF, and in a service life spanning the evacuation of Aden, through operations in Cyprus, Hong Kong and Northern Ireland, to the Falklands War through to the present day, the aircraft was to be flown in a number of roles the original designers could hardly have thought possible.
Originally intended as a troop carrier, the Wessex was first ordered by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines to equip their helicopter landing ships and airborne assault Squadrons. The Wessex provided a far greater lifting capability than the earlier Whirlwind, as well as greater range and speed, and it was with these characteristics in mind that the Royal Air Force ordered the Wessex to fill the support helicopter and air sea rescue roles, replacing the Whirlwind in both of these capacities. The new type proved a great success, giving field commanders greater flexibility of operation given its improved ability to deliver larger loads to front line areas and to provide reliable support. Improved versions were ordered with greater engine power and improved rotors, but the basic Wessex airframe changed very little over the years. The wide wheelbase made the aircraft very stable on rough or sloping terrain and proved very rugged, which when combined with the unusual low nose-mounted engine position, gave the Wessex a very low centre of gravity for a helicopter.
Aside from its intended roles as a support and air sea rescue aircraft, the Wessex in RAF service found itself used for border and shipping patrol in such areas as Hong Kong, where it also was used as an aerial policing platform. Three specially equipped versions were also ordered to provide VIP transport capability to the Queen's Flight, and throughout its service career the Wessex was also used in the aircrew training role at RAF Shawbury. During the Falklands war, the Wessex came into its own as the major helicopter type available to transport troops and supplies over the inhospitable winter terrain. One Royal Navy Wessex, now in the Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton, was partly responsible for the destruction of the submarine Santa Fe off South Georgia, a target it attacked with its door mounted GPMG, surely a unique engagement in helicopter operations.
In Cyprus, now the home of the last operational RAF Wessex Squadron, 84, the aircraft has been used its two original roles of troop transport and Search and Rescue, but has also provided an important service to the Cyprus communities as an aerial firefighter. In 2002 serious brush fires in the hills surrounding several small villages threatened the lives and homes of the villagers, but the fires were brought under control by 84 Squadron Wessex's operating alongside civilian firefighters from hastily prepared forward operating locations. Underslung 'fire buckets' were used to douse the fires with both water and fire-retarding chemicals. Even in the twilight of its career, the venerable helicopter was still finding new roles.
The Officer Commanding the last Wessex Squadron, Squadron Leader Nicky Smith, was unstinting in her praise of the type. "People from other units have sometimes called it a museum piece!" she said, "and its true, it is not the most modern of aircraft, but I have developed a bit of a soft spot for it, and so have mixed feelings about the retirement." She continued, "I first flew the Wessex in training at RAF Shawbury, and went on to do a tour on a Sea King Squadron and a ground tour before I took over 84 as Commanding Officer. Of course, the Wessex has nothing like the lift capacity of the Sea King, nor any of its modern systems, but it is a tough airframe, you can really throw it about, particularly in the trooper role. In dusty conditions, like we often encounter in Cyprus, you can land the aircraft quickly and firmly without having to come to the hover as you do with other types, which reduces the loss of visibility due to the dust being blown up, and also minimises exposing the engines to damage from particle ingestion."
In the SAR role, the winch is positioned just behind the aircraft commander who is afforded an excellent view from the high cockpit, all of which makes it very easy to hover and manoeuvre accurately over small boats, so it is only fair to say the aircraft has some excellent features which explains its long service life. However, it is a simple aircraft, a function of the period that produced it, and one of the side effects of that is that the Wessex is not maintenance friendly in design. Some parts and systems on the aircraft are very difficult to get at, and it is a combination of the cost and time of maintenance and age of spares that have finally outlived the usefullness of the type."
"Although it is sad to see the Wessex go, this is also an exciting time for 84 Squadron as we will be introducing the latest version of the Bell 412 Griffin, the HAR2, specially equipped for the Search and Rescue role."
Replacing the 84 Squadron Wessex in the Search and Rescue role in Cyprus for an interim period are the Sea Kings of 203 Squadron, which is also the Sea King OCU. Squadron Leader Bob King, the OC of detachment, explained. "203 will be detached from our usual base of St Mawgan in Cornwall until late April, when the Griffin HAR2 introduction into service is complete." he said. As they took over the SAR stand-by responsibility from 84 Squadron, one of the 203 Squadron pilots had particular reason to celebrate. Squadron Leader Dane Crosby logged his 10,000th RAF flying hour during a training sortie from RAF Akrotiri. Dane has flown a wide variety of types in the service, from the Jet Provost to the Hercules, and said; "What I particularly enjoy about helicopters is it is hands on flying, no autopilots or computers, and flying an aircraft like this is still great fun! 10,000 hours is a lot of flying, but it also represents many more thousand hours of engineering and maintenance, not to mention the thousands of hours put in by the other aircrew members. 203 and Search and Rescue in particular is a team effort, so this is as much and achievement for the Squadron as anything."
Comments, stories from anyone with personal experience of the Wessex would be interesting.